STONY BROOK, NY, June 11, 2014 – Two award-winning wordsmiths, a healthcare executive, a senior financial executive and a veteran research engineer with deep networking roots in Silicon Valley comprise the June 2014 slate of new members of the Stony Brook Alumni Association Board of Directors.

The new board members – each of whom have been active Alumni Association members for years – were appointed to three-year terms, said Carol Gomes, President of the Stony Brook Alumni Association.

"Shashi, Kent, Tracy, Joe and Patrick proudly represent the growth and strength of our Alumni Association as we continue to strengthen and deepen our Stony Brook footprint across the country and around the globe,” Gomes,`90, `97, said. “Their collective talents, pride and passion for Stony Brook will ensure we continue to reach and serve our 155,000 alumni, increase alumni participation and support, and raise our rankings and national profile."

The new members are …

Shashi B. Agarwal ’79, principal research engineer at Seagate Technology in Cupertino, Calif., earned a doctorate in materials science and engineering from Stony Brook’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. A volunteer with the Alumni Association since 2010, Agarwal of Santa Clara, Calif. is working to create a pipeline for the upcoming crop of qualified Stony Brook students to connect with Silicon Valley companies. He is the leader of the association’s northern California chapter, which counts 125 members.

Patrick Cunningham ’93, senior vice president of sales for Lucera Financial Infrastructure in Manhattan, graduated from Stony Brook’s College of Arts and Science with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. With over 15 years of experience in capital markets, Cunningham’s mentoring and motivational skills will serve the association’s board well. At Stony Brook, Cunningham of Sayville, N.Y., was voted most valuable player of the men’s basketball team.

Kent Gustavson ’04, ’07, an acclaimed author whose definitive biography of music icon Doc Watson, Blind But Now I See, earned Gustavson the Next Generation Indie Book Award in 2011, earned master’s and doctorate degrees in music competition, in 2004 and 2007, respectively, from Stony Brook’s College of Arts and Science. Gustavson of Milton, Pa., is the founder and CEO of Blooming Twig, an indie book publisher that has released hundreds of bestselling and award-winning titles. He speaks across the country on a myriad of music-related topics.

Tracy. M. King-Sanchez ’92, ’94, ’12, an accomplished writer who started her own production company, It Is What It Is Productions, Inc., in 2008, earned bachelor’s and master’s teaching degrees in the 1990s before receiving a master’s in creative writing and literature in 2012. The Miller Place, N.Y., resident earned the grand prize in the 2012 Women in Film & Video/New England.

Joseph S. Manopella ’95 is a healthcare executive for the North Shore-LIJ Health System. He earned a bachelor’s in sociology from Stony Brook’s College of Arts and Science. Manopella of Williston Park has over 16 years of experience in healthcare management.

The Alumni Association engages alumni in the life of Stony Brook University and its students, encouraging alumni to maintain lifelong connections with Stony Brook and to support the university's goals. Its board of directors plays a key role in planning and organizing alumni programs and services, while establishing and maintaining the association’s fiscal policies and procedures.